Rick Allen, drummer with Def Leppard gives details on new release.

Tuesday, December 16th, 2014

Def Leppard are working on their first new studio album since 2008’s “Songs From The Sparkle Lounge”. Drummer Rick Allen has shed some light on the sessions at frontman Joe Elliott’s studio in Ireland. “We’ve actually been recording for quite a while. I’ve been over to Joe’s place on two occasions now, for extended periods. We’ve got a good 16 or 17 songs that I would say, when I left were 80, 85 percent [done]. So, I know there’s another session coming up. I think I’m pretty much done with my parts.”

Weo asked Allen why he’s comfortable letting the band go in and finish up tracks without him being present. “I don’t think we need to go into that kind of expense, and with technology these days, it’s fantastic,” he said. “Once I’ve been over there, I’ve been in the room, seen the whites of their eyes — y’know, we’ve all worked together. The finishing touch is really all it’s about. It’s just technology and working in my own studio at home and just sending the files over.”

Guitarist Vivian Campbell, who once again has successfully battled back against Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, told a Canadian radio station that because the band tends to record in stages, one is never really sure what the end result will be. “The way DEF LEPPARD records work, the last guy in the studio gets to have the final word,” he said. “So who knows? I’m not gonna be there because I have too much medical stuff going on. I’m kind of done at this stage. There may be a final session in January or February that I’ll not be party to, so I have no idea what the final thing’s gonna be.”

He went on to joke: “All I can tell you is my involvement was with the first part of the record, and it was a hard rock record at that stage, so if it comes out being wussy, I’m not accepting blame. I’m throwing my hands in the air.”